SimplyBiz acquires SIFA
Adviser services provider SimplyBiz has acquired SIFA, a support organisation for independent advisers who work with solicitors and accountants.
Ian Muirhead, founder of SIFA, who will continue to drive the business as Managing Director, commented “Having established a successful business over the past 20 years, we could have continued indefinitely as a niche provider. However, the combination of the Legal Services Act and the FSA’s Retail Distribution Review provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for IFAs to become a vital part of the professional community which SIFA is uniquely well positioned to support. This will require greater resource than is available to us at present, and we are delighted that this is being provided by the Simply Biz Group. SIFA will continue to lead the specialised area of providing professional support to financial advisers and solicitors and use the extra resources to further enhance our range of services. My whole team are exhilarated by the prospect which lies before us and we are delighted to be able to offer even more to our valued member firms. For those high quality IFA firms, becoming a member of SIFA is now more attractive than ever before”.
Managing Director of Simply Biz, Matthew Timmins, added “We have long admired SIFA and the team they have built and we are delighted to be able to help them enhance even further the excellent proposition they have for IFAs wishing to work with the professions. This is such an exciting opportunity, given the changes resulting from the RDR, to provide high quality, professional IFAs with an exceptional service run by an experienced and committed team. SIFA is and will remain the number one choice for IFAs looking to build relationships with solicitors and other professions.
Chairman of Simply Biz Group, Ken Davy added “There are almost 11,000 law firms in England and Wales and a further 1,100 in Scotland so the opportunities for expansion of SIFA’s highly specialised services for IFA firms are very significant indeed. I have known Ian Muirhead for many years and have a great deal of respect for him and his focus on bringing real benefits both to legal firms and IFAs by recognising and building on the synergies between them. Together we now have a great opportunity to expand SIFA’s reach and service to many more quality independent financial advisers for the benefit of all concerned”.
